The INSIDER Summary:

This is so she doesn’t develop life-threatening blood clots, which she is at risk for.

Williams is pretty calm about it and looking forward to being a mother.

For years, Serena Williams was terrified of becoming pregnant.

But with a pregnancy eight months on its way, she’s staying calm.

In 2011, Williams was hospitalized with bilateral pulmonary embolisms following a foot surgery she needed after stepping on a piece of glass. The health issue, according to the Mayo Clinic, happens when blood clots travel from the legs to the lungs and cause blockages. It’s a potentially life-threatening condition that requires serious treatment.

Pregnancy increases the risk of blood clots. So to say safe, Williams has to inject herself with anticoagulants every day. It’s “the most dreaded part of her daily routine,” according to Vogue.

Williams’ high-risk pregnancy with her fiancé, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, was a surprise. But since finding out about it, she’s been calm.

“Once I found out, something happened that surprised me,” she told the magazine. “I became really calm. I thought, ‘You have to win, but you’re allowed to lose, because you have something to look forward to.'”

Williams said she’s still mentally preparing herself to have a child. As an athlete, she spends a lot of time taking care of her own body. Now she has to care of someone else’s.

“The biggest thing is that I don’t really think I’m a baby person. Not yet,” Williams told Vogue. “That’s something I have to work on. I’m so used to me-me-me, taking care of my health, my body, my career. I always ask, Am I going to be good enough?”